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Monday, November 30, 2015

Dear Readers, I love
featuring Christmas stories this time of year. Today, we have an author we
haven’t had visit this blog before.

Welcome, Marlene. Tell
us how much of yourself you write into your characters.

That depends on the character. The heroine in Angel in Shining Armor has a few traits
I possess, like ambition and the self-esteem issue. However, most of her
character is drawn from inspiration from God and my vivid imagination.

What is the quirkiest
thing you have ever done?

I danced on a glass chess table on New Years Eve at a party
in Bel Air, California.

When did you first
discover that you were a writer?

My earliest memories are in grade five when I wrote a play
and also directed, produced, and starred in it. The teacher allowed me to
present it at lunch hour. Also in about grade six, our teacher asked us to write
a story about an imaginary trip. She told me it was excellent but did not
believe I wrote it. (She said she thought my parents wrote it) She told me to
write another story right away, and then she would decide whether or not I
wrote the first one. She apologized.

Tell us the range of
the kinds of books you enjoy reading.

I love suspense and mystery. I gobble up non-fiction and a
wide variety of fiction.

How do you keep your
sanity in our run, run, run world?

By reading the Bible first thing in the morning and
meditating on the Word. This gives me strength for the day.

How do you choose
your characters’ names?

They just come to me mostly. Certain names I’ve always
loved. Though with Ayita High-Eagle, I spent considerable time researching
Indian names and it “felt” right.

What is the
accomplishment that you are most proud of?

I’m not really “proud” of any accomplishment per se. But
through the inspiration and grace of God, Love Found in Manhattan has been released and this gives me great joy.

If you were an
animal, which one would you be, and why?

It would be a tossup between a Persian cat and a maybe an
Arabian steed horse.

What is your favorite
food?

Lobster and dark chocolate.

Two of my favorites
as well. What is the problem with writing that was your greatest roadblock, and
how did you overcome it?

Though I’m side-stepping the question a bit; for me, the
problem was the hassle of selling the book and the challenge of successfully
marketing it.

Tell us about the
featured book.

When Tiffany Vandermeer’s step-folks Cessna 52 crashes on
Christmas Eve morning, she is devastated. Shocked, she wanders around the Big
Apple and discovers a discarded infant. This find leads her into the arms of
handsome obstetrician, Jason Prescott. The chemistry between them is palpable.
She doesn’t want to deceive him, but she’s bonded with the helpless baby and
can’t bear to see him placed in an orphanage the way she’d been. Will her
deceit destroy their budding romance?

Read this story of deceit, forgiveness, and triumphant love, as Jason, a man of
unusual faith shows her how. He can use the baby discovery and her loss to
catapult her into a new level of faith and a glorious future with him. Will God
and his miraculous timing allow her to retrieve the baby if she relinquishes
him to authorities?

Thank you, Marlene, for sharing this holiday book with us. I'm eager to read it, and I know my readers are as well.Readers, here’s a link to the book. By using it when you order, you help support this blog.Love Found in Manhattan (A Christmas Romance)

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. You must follow these instructions to be in the drawing. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory. (Comments containing links may be subject to removal by blog owner.)

Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws.

The only notification you’ll receive is the winner post on this blog. So be sure to check back a week from Saturday to see if you won. You will have 4 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.

If you’re reading this on Goodreads, Google+, Feedblitz, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment if you want to be included in the drawing. Here’s a link:Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com

Sunday, November 29, 2015

Lynn (Nova Scotia) is the winner of Without Proof by Janet Sketchly.Bonnie R (KY) is the winner of the ebook Christmas Traditions by Darlene Franklin (and other authors).Connie(KY) is the winner of Freed to Forgive by Julie B Cosgrove.Melanie (TX) is the winner of Island Christmas by Kimberly Rose Johnson.Rachael (MO) is the winner of The Five Times I Met Myself by James L Rubart.

If you won a book and you like it, please consider giving the author the courtesy of writing a review on Goodreads, Amazon.com, Christianbooks.com, Barnes and Noble, or other Internet sites. Also, tell your friends about the book ... and this blog. Thank you.

Congratulations, everyone. If you won a print book, send me your mailing address:Click the Contact Me link at the top of the blog, and send me an Email.If you won an ebook, just let me know what email address it should be sent to.

When you contact me, please give the title of the book you won, so I won't have to look it up.Remember, you have 4 weeks to claim your book.

Friday, November 27, 2015

Dear Readers, Andrea
has been a good friend for a number of years. We’ve written for some of the
same publishers and encouraged each other in our writing lives. This is the
first book in a new series for her.

Bio: Andrea
Boeshaar is the cofounder of American Christian Fiction Writers and runs
"The Writer's ER," a coaching service for writers. She is the author
of thirty published works, including Threads
of Faith, a finalist in the Inspirational Readers Choice Awards. Andrea is
also the author of a popular devotional and regularly blogs on a number of
sites.

Welcome back, Andrea.
As an author, I know it takes a lot of people to birth each book. Who were the
people involved in the birthing of this book, and what were their
contributions?

A Thousand Shall Fall is one of those stories that weighed
heavily on my heart. I ached to write it. It began first as a Love Finds You
story (Guideposts/Summerside Press) and a contract was sent to my agent at the
time and me. Unfortunately the fiction line closed without all the details of
my contract being ironed out. My present agent, Mary Sue Seymour, sent my
proposal to Kregel Publications. Miraculously, the managing editor there shared
my vision for this book and series and soon I was signing a contract with the
company for a 3-book deal. The staff at Kregel—Steve, Dennis, Dawn, Leah, Noelle,
and Katherine—have all been fabulous to work with. My substantive editor, Lori,
has been great, too. In addition to the Kregel staff, I received valuable
feedback from authors Kimberley Woodhouse, Cindy Hickey, Christina Miller, and
Tracie Peterson. Without the efforts on the part of these folks, my “book baby”
may not have been born.

If you teach or
speak, what’s coming up on your calendar?

Yes, I teach workshops and speak at ladies’ retreats and
other conferences. Presently, I have no speaking engagements lined up—which is
fine. I’m immersed in setting up book signings and online media events for my
novel A Thousand Shall Fall.

If you had to
completely start over in another place, where would you move, and why?

I would be in the foothills of South Carolina. My husband and I love the
area. We feel inspired by the mountains—plus, I have a lot of friends between Greenville and Atlanta,
Georgia. Here
in Wisconsin,
I get tired of the winter by January 2nd.

If you could only
tell aspiring novelists one thing, what would it be?

I would advise this: Take caution when choosing to
independently publish your book or sign with a small publishing company. Unless
you’re willing to pay a publicist, self-promotion is difficult. You don’t want
to harass folks by telling them you’ve got a book release. They may sever their
ties with you on social media because they are tired of seeing your two
sentence gloats about your novel! Just because you Tweet it or post it every
fifteen minutes does not guarantee you’ll sell a single copy. Asking your
friends to write reviews helps, of course, but to a point. Publicity, I have learned,
must be very strategic and far-reaching. In addition, building a platform for
yourself (a large collection of readers and “followers” takes time. Start
building as a writer immediately and work up to the title of “published
author.” Your publisher should be willing to invest in you and help you
succeed.

Tell us about the
featured book.

I believe readers of historical fiction will enjoy my novel,
particularly if you enjoy the Civil War era as I do.

A Thousand Shall Fall takes place in the Shenandoah
Valley in 1864. Known as the “Daughter of the Stars,” the Shenandoah Valley had been defended by such Confederate
heroes as General Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson, General Turner Ashby, General
Stephen “Dod” Ramseur, and General Tom Rosser. But they lost the Valley to
Union General Phil Sheridan and his Army of the Shenandoah by November 1864.
This first book in my Shenandoah Valley Saga covers only the Battle of
Winchester III (September 19, 1864). Book two will address the Battle of Cedar
Creek (October 19, 1864) and the brave women who nursed soldiers wearing both
blue and gray. But that’s the historical part. There’s also a compelling
fictional story woven into this factual account.

In the autumn of 1864, spirited Carrie Ann Bell is searching
for her runaway sister in the heart of Virginia’s
Shenandoah Valley. Disguised as a Yankee
soldier, she stumbles into a skirmish near Front Royal—and instead of her
sister, she finds trouble.

Colonel Peyton Collier of the Union cavalry division arrests
her for impersonating an

Officer, but protects her from worse consequences. Soon
the Southern girl finds herself drawn to the chivalrous Yankee horseman,
discovering that her foe has become her ally—and more than that, someone she
could love.

But Carrie has promised to keep a dark secret, never
suspecting that her silence might threaten the life of the gallant Colonel
who holds her—and her heart—captive.

Please give us the
first page of the book.

August 15, 1864

Ooh, that Sarah Jane!

Carrie Ann Bell stared at her youngest sister’s sloppily
scratched note. How could that girl do such a scandalous thing? Running off
with a lowlife peddler? Certainly, Sarah threatened to run away numerous times
in the past, but who would have thought she’d actually do it? Mama would be
heartbroken when she learned the news.

Heartbroken and angry. Carrie could practically hear Mama
crying and blaming her for Sarah running off. Mama would say Carrie paid more
attention to Papa’s newspaper than her sisters . . .

And maybe Mama was right. But her sister Margaret was
eighteen and Sarah, fifteen. They weren’t that much younger than Carrie
herself. And writing for the Bell Tower
in Papa’s absence had been Carrie’s refuge, a place of normalcy in a world
turned topsy-turvy.

Staring at Sarah’s note, Carrie debated whether to withhold
this information from Mama. Maybe she’d go looking for her youngest sister and
bring her home to the Wayfarers Inn—

What an oxymoron. The Wayfarers Inn was no more a home than
a damp, dark cave was an elegant mansion. Still, it was a roof over her family’s
head.

Carrie paced the small newspaper office, paused, and ran
one, ink-stained fingertip over the smooth surface of Papa’s desk. Surely she
could catch up with Arthur Sims, that no-account speculator with whom Sarah ran
off. He couldn’t have traveled far in that large, rattling contraption of his.
Painted in obnoxious shades of yellow and orange, it resembled a circus wagon.

Carrie’s hand shook as sudden fire flowed through her veins.
She was tempted to notify the law and file kidnapping charges against the man,
except the law had better things to do than go hunting for a fast-talking
swindler who rode off with a starry-eyed girl.

The search for her runaway sister goes awry when Carrie finds herself arrested during the Civil War for impersonating an officer in Andrea Boeshaar's A Thousand Shall Fall. Soon, though, she finds herself drawn to the handsome, gallant colonel who arrested her. Carrie Ann discovers that her foe has become her ally—and more than that, someone she could love. Will she protect someone who has been like family or be loyal to this stranger to whom she wants to offer her heart? When her world is being torn apart around her, whom should she trust?

Andrea is celebrating the release of A Thousand Shall Fall with a Kindle Fire giveaway!

One grand prize winner will receive:

A copy of A Thousand Shall Fall

A Kindle Fire HD 6

Enter today by clicking the icon below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on December 10th. The winner will be announced December 11th on Andrea's blog.

And one reader will win a copy of the book on this blog.

Thank you, Andrea, for sharing this new book with us. I know my readers are eager to read the story.

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory. (Comments containing links may be subject to removal by blog owner.)

Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws.

The only notification you’ll receive is the winner post on this blog. So be sure to check back a week from Saturday to see if you won. You will have 4 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.

If you’re reading this on Goodreads, Google+, Feedblitz, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment if you want to be included in the drawing. Here’s a link:

Thursday, November 26, 2015

There are a lot of things I'm thankful for. Every member of my family being together for Thanksiving for the first time in several years. Now that our army grandson is out of the army, we'll all be together.

Our family is close, and I'm thankful.

My husband has loved me for over 51 years, and I'm thankful.

I've had several health issues for the last 14 months, and God was with me through every step of the way, and I thankful.

Wednesday, November 25, 2015

Welcome back, Rita. What
are some of the spiritual themes you like to write about?

An excellent question. I strive to weave spiritual themes
into the story by fleshing out the characters. I do not preach at the reader.
Readers want don’t want a sermon, they want to journey with characters they can
relate to. In real life, we all deal with spiritual issues whether we are a
believer or not. Some of the spiritual themes in my newest release, After
the Rain, are the care of widows and orphans, unplanned pregnancy,
trusting in God for guidance, discernment, and living a godly life, just to
name a few.

What other books of
yours are coming out soon?

October has been a busy month. My Daughters of the Potomac series came out in Audible alongside After
the Rain. I’ll have other books coming out in the next year. I’m
working on writing another Edwardian era novel, and my agent and I are
discussing the publication of a novel that is finished.

If you could spend an
evening with one contemporary person (not a family member of yours), who would
it be and why?

I wouldn’t mind having dinner with Dr. Dennis Slamin. He’s
an oncologist and chief of the division of Hematology-Oncology at UCLA, known
for his work in classifying the oncogene that is found in HER2 breast cancer, and
the treatment of Herceptin. I received Herceptin IVs for a year during breast
cancer treatment. It has saved so many women’s lives, including mine. He fought
the pharmaceutical industry and the FDA to get the drug approved. So many of us
BC survivors are very thankful. There is a movie called Proof of Life about him, and as I watched it, I could see how the
Lord had his Hand in this.

You know my oldest
daughter battled breast cancer this year, because you prayed for her and
reached out to her. I so appreciated that. God had laid you on my heart through
your battle. For a while there, I was praying for four different author friends
who were also in the battle. I’m so thankful you and my daughter are on the
other side of the battle. What historical person would you like to meet
(besides Jesus) and why?

If it were another writer, undoubtedly I’d want to meet Mark
Twain. If anyone has ever read his work, he’d be in the top ten of people to
meet. Not only was he a brilliant writer, he was witty, and a very wise man. I
can imagine sitting on his porch on a summer evening talking while he smokes a
cigar. I’d do a lot more listening than speaking, but I’d have many questions
about writing.

It would be fun to be
there with the two of you. How can you encourage authors who have been
receiving only rejections from publishers?

I’d encourage them by saying not to allow rejections to hold
you back from doing what you love and fulfilling your calling as a Christian
writer. All writers get rejections, and most of the time it has to do with the
market. Publishing is a business, and publishers are in it to make money.
That’s the bottom line. If you are called to write, no one can take that away
from you. Only you can decide what to do with it. And we have the option of self-publishing
with Amazon’s KDP program, which gives you all the rights, full control, and
higher royalties. There is always hope, so let God lead you. Write and don’t
fold.

Tell us about the
featured book.

I loved writing After the Rain. It was a leap
forward in time for me. My other books were Colonial era novels, so this one
was exciting to delve into, especially with all the new research I had to do.
Here’s the synopsis.

It's 1908, a year in the Edwardian Age, the year J.M.
Barrie’s play What Every Woman Knows,
premiered in Atlantic City and the first Model T
rolled off the assembly line in Detroit.
It is a year when the world faced one of its worst disasters in history, when
the New Year would heal the wounds of loss.

Louisa Borden lives a privileged life in Chevy
Chase, Maryland, a new and
thriving community on the outskirts of Washington,
DC, for the well-to-do. Against
the wishes of her domineering grandmother, she retreats from the prospects of a
loveless marriage and instead searches for what she hopes is her calling in
life.

When her horse is spooked along Rock Creek, she is thrown
from the saddle—an embarrassing situation for any affluent young lady. Soaking
wet, bruised and humiliated, she is carried up the muddy bank to safety by
Jackson O’Neil, a stranger to the city, who changes the course of everything,
including the lives of all those around her.

Please give us the
first page of the book.

Autumn 1908 Virginia

Jackson O’Neil scanned the ridgeline. The clouds were low
and misty, shades of blue and gray ash that stretched along the mountains as
far as his eyes could see. Autumn had come early, and the dogwoods were turning
crimson—the maples gold, the oaks deep brown.

A whisper of a breeze stirred the changing leaves and
ruffled his dark hair. His quarter horse grazed in the field beyond the
farmhouse his father had built so many years ago, before he was born, before
his younger sister took her first breath.

He drew in the scent of apples fallen from the trees,
listened to the hum of yellow jackets thirsty for the sweet overripe nectar of
the rotting pulp. He heaped hay over the fence and whistled to his horse. Ransom
raised his head and trotted over.

Jackson
rubbed the velvety nose offered him and reached inside his pocket for a sugar
cube. “Come spring, I’ll find you a mare, Ransom. It gets lonely, doesn’t it?”

He understood loneliness, and wished for it at times so to
forget some of the things he had seen in his life. He rubbed his horse’s ear
and recalled the seasons when his father’s fields were dotted with mares and
their foals, a stallion in the next meadow over. Would he ever bring those
prosperous days back to Ballyshannon? Or had those years of plenty ended?

He’d been home more than a year now, since his father turned
the land over to him, land that had been in his family for three generations,
named for the place where his great grandfather had been born in Ireland. Jackson smiled—grateful
to be home, regretful he had ever left.

An engine rumbled in the distance. It drew closer and a dust
cloud flew up into the air. Choking exhaust mixed with rusty sand and dirt,
held no comparison to the colossal billows of soot and concrete dust he
remembered. He threw back the images and focused on Bill Shanks barreling
toward him on the motorbike used for delivering the mail. Whipping around a
bend, Shanks skidded to a halt, frightening Ransom away from the fence.

“I’ve a letter for you.” Shanks lifted his goggles and drew
a brown envelope out of his leather satchel. “It’s from your pa.”

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the ebook. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory. (Comments containing links may be subject to removal by blog owner.)

Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws.

The only notification you’ll receive is the winner post on this blog. So be sure to check back a week from Saturday to see if you won. You will have 4 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.

If you’re reading this on Goodreads, Google+, Feedblitz, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment if you want to be included in the drawing. Here’s a link:Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com

Tuesday, November 24, 2015

BIO: A native of
west Tennessee, Dorothy Love makes her home in
the Texas
hill country with her husband and their golden retriever. An award-winning
author of numerous young adult novels, Dorothy made her adult debut with the
Hickory Ridge novels. When she isn’t busy writing or researching her next book,
Love enjoys hiking, traveling, and hanging out with her husband Ron and their
rambunctious golden retriever. The Loves make their home in the Texas hill country.

Welcome back,
Dorothy. Tell us about your salvation experience.

I grew up in the Presbyterian Church and from a very early
age was taught that as believers we belong to God. I don’t have a specific
salvation story to tell. I can’t remember when faith was not a part of my life.

You’re planning a
writing retreat where you can only have four other authors. Who would they be
and why?

Only four? There are so many writers I admire. For this
question I’m going to limit my answer to writers I have not yet met and not the
ones who encourage and inspire me every day with their talent and friendship.

As a southern author born and bred and as one who writes
almost exclusively about the South, I’d have to invite Pat Conroy because he
loves the South Carolina
lowcountry as much as I do and writes about it with such grace. Lee Smith for
her realistic portrayals of Southern families in all their messiness, Kaye
Gibbons because her book Ellen Foster
is a masterpiece and I’d love to pick the brain of such a genius, and Cassandra
King who is a very good writer in her own right and happens to be married to
Pat Conroy. I figure Sandra might persuade Pat to accept my invitation.

What is the most
embarrassing thing that has happened to you and how did you handle it?

I locked myself out of my house twice in one day. Luckily a
sympathetic neighbor came to the rescue the first time. When I did it the second
time, it was late in the afternoon and I just waited for my husband to get home
and let me in.

People are always
telling me that they’d like to write a book someday. I’m sure they do to you,
too. What would you tell someone who came up to you and said that?

Go for it. Enjoy the process. But be prepared. It’s harder
than it looks.

So … so true. Tell us
about the featured book.

A Respectable Actress is inspired by the life of Frances Anne
(Fanny) Kenble, a very popular British actress who toured America in the 1800’s when
actresses were considered undesirables.
Fanny married Pierce Butler and went with him to his St Simons Island
plantation where much of my novel is set.
My fictional lead character, India Hartley, comes to Savannah as a visiting actress on a tour of
theaters across the south. On the second night of her Savannah engagement, her leading man, a
popular local actor is shot dead onstage in front of a packed house. India is
accused of the crime. Celia McKay, a character from my novel The Bracelet hires her friend Philip
Sinclair, the best lawyer in town to defend India. To protect her from pre-trial
gossip, he takes her to Indigo Point, his rundown plantation on St Simons where
they work on her defense, and where India makes startling discoveries
about Philip’s past as she looks for clues to the disappearance of a slave girl
and seeks to unravel the mysteries of a woman in a portrait.

Romantic Times
named the book a Top Pick and commented on its “gothic vibe.” It’s a bit of a
departure from my earlier books but I hope readers will enjoy it.

I can hardly wait to
read my copy. Please give us the first page of the book.

Savannah, December 20, 1870

Gunfire exploded to the right of the stage, a burst of sound
that temporarily deafened her. When the ringing in her ears subsided she was
aware of screams, of shouts for a policeman and a doctor, of the ensuing chaos
as officers arrived and began ushering patrons out of the packed theater. Two
burly officers leapt onto the stage, seized her by both arms, and manhandled her
into a police wagon parked in the alley, the officers with their weapons at the
ready, the horses stamping impatiently in the cold.

Now it was midnight and the city of Savannah slumbered beneath a veil of winter
moonlight, the deep silence broken only by a rush of wind that rattled the
palmettos and the Pride of India trees lining the deserted streets.

Inside the Chatham County Jail the walls rang with the
shouts of drunken sailors and their painted escorts, the clang of metal bars
and snatches of lewd songs sung off key. Jaded-looking policemen armed with
nightsticks moved along the dimly lit corridors checking the locks and
admonishing the prisoners to quiet down.

Twitter at WriterDorothyThank you, Dorothy, for sharing this new book with us. Your snippet intrigues me. I usually only read Christmas books in November and December, but I probably will slip your book in very soon. I can hardly wait to read it. I'm sure my readers feel the same way.Readers, here are links to the book. By using one when you order, you help support this blog.
A Respectable Actress - Christianbook.com (best price today)A Respectable Actress - AmazonA Respectable Actress - Kindle

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory. (Comments containing links may be subject to removal by blog owner.)

Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws.

The only notification you’ll receive is the winner post on this blog. So be sure to check back a week from Saturday to see if you won. You will have 4 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.

If you’re reading this on Goodreads, Google+, Feedblitz, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment if you want to be included in the drawing. Here’s a link:Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com

Monday, November 23, 2015

BIO: Speaker and
award-winning author, Cynthia Ruchti draws from 33 years experience writing and
producing a daily radio broadcast to tell stories hemmed in Hope through her
novels, novellas, devotions, and nonfiction. She serves as the professional
relations liaison for American Christian Fiction Writers. Cynthia and her
husband live in the heart of Wisconsin.

Dear Readers, I’ve
known and loved Cynthia Ruchti for a long time. And her books are always
wonderful reads. Since the beginning of October, I’ve been reading mostly
Christmas books. There are a large number of new Christian Christmas releases. An Endless Christmas stands out as one
of the best. A unique storyline and characters who marched into my heart and
took up residence there kept me turning pages as fast as I could. A
heartwarming story that lingers, this book is sure to become a traditional
favorite that will be read year after year. You won’t want to miss this one.

Tell us about your
salvation experience.

A love for God, the Bible, and Jesus had been planted in my
heart almost since birth, or at least since I could recognize the word God and
the look of reverence on my parents’ faces. Respecting the Word of God and
appreciating Jesus and His love almost came naturally, growing up in that sweet
atmosphere. But when I was five years old, I was confronted with my need for
doing more than just thinking about Jesus. During swimming lessons that summer,
the instructor’s insistence on the buddy system “in case someone got in trouble
in the water” brought me face-to-face with the idea that even a child could
die. I wanted the assurance that if something happened to me, then or ever, I
would have a home in heaven with the God I loved. I can almost hear the screen
door slamming behind me all those years ago when I rushed home after swim
class, kneeled by the ratty tweed couch, and asked my parents to help me commit
my life to Jesus as my Savior. No turning back. No turning back.

I was also reared in
that kind of home, and I asked Jesus into my heart when I was seven years old.You’re
planning a writing retreat where you can only have four other authors. Who
would they be and why?

My daughter, Amy, who has a writer’s heart and is one day
going to write more than the wittiest Facebook posts ever.

My granddaughter, Grace, who also has an exceptional gift.

My other granddaughter, Hannah, because her flair for the
dramatic may mean she too is on a path toward writing emotion-packed stories
(and because she’d never forgive me if she weren’t invited).

You, because you’d make them all feel at home. J

That sounds like a
fun retreat. I’d love interacting with all of you. Do you have a speaking
ministry? If so, tell us about that.

Yes, I speak frequently for women’s groups and retreats. I
love the relationships that form at these events and the ability to in that
way, too, tell stories hemmed in hope. I have the outrageous privilege of
serving as one of the speakers on a Women’s Retreat CRUISE in April, from Tampa to Key West to Cozumel and back. What a thrill to have been asked to
participate in that event.

Wow! That sounds like
fun. I love cruises. What is the most embarrassing thing that has happened to
you and how did you handle it?

One of the most embarrassing was during a duet my girlfriend
and I sang in church when we were young teens. It was a sober song, but we got
the giggles and couldn’t get rid of them. My friend’s mother was our pianist
and shot us a searing “evil eye.” But that just made it all the funnier. We
never did pull ourselves together. But we were asked again and somehow managed
to overcome the temptation to allow it to happen again.

People are always
telling me that they’d like to write a book someday. I’m sure they do to you,
too. What would you tell someone who came up to you and said that?

I would tell people—and often have—to get to the best
writers’ conference they can afford. It’s such a good first step, because they
will either feel like they’ve finally found what they’ve been looking for, or
the realities of what it takes to become a writer will convince them there are
other ways to lose sleep.

Tell us about the
featured book.

An Endless Christmas is the story of Christmas week with the
Binder family. When grandson Micah Binder proposes to his girlfriend and she says
“No,” the week seems off to a rocky start. But the Binder family’s response
becomes part of Katie Vale’s journey to the heart of Christmas.

Please give us the
first page of the book for my readers.

“What did she say?”

A carol played in the background. Carols perpetually played
in the background at the Binder’s cottage at Christmas, Katie Vale had quickly
learned. The music almost covered the whispered “What did she say?” that made
the rounds of the room built for two that now held twenty.

“She said no.” Dodie Binder—matriarch and tone-setter—leaned
closer to her husband Wilson whose smile collapsed, stroke-like, when she
repeated the answer in his good ear.

“She said no?” He wasn’t the only one asking for
clarification.

Katie fingered the heirloom ring. In her hand, not on it. A
square-cut diamond surrounded by tiny sapphires. A narrow, glitter-edged ribbon
looped through its circle. Moments earlier it had hung on the Binder’s tinseled
Christmas tree. “I said…”—she apologized to Micah Binder with her eyes and with
all she couldn’t express—“no. I can’t accept this. I can’t—”

And, Cynthia, it's a joy to host you. With the growth of the readership of the blog, we always have new readers who haven't read any of your work. I'm happy to introduce them to other Christian authors.

Readers, here are links to the book. By using one when you order, you help support this blog.

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory. (Comments containing links may be subject to removal by blog owner.)

Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws.

The only notification you’ll receive is the winner post on this blog. So be sure to check back a week from Saturday to see if you won. You will have 4 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.

If you’re reading this on Goodreads, Google+, Feedblitz, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment if you want to be included in the drawing. Here’s a link:Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com

Sunday, November 22, 2015

Annie (MD) is the winner of Light and Shadows by Carole Jefferson (Susan Page Davis).Denise (CO) is the winner of 100 Simple Ways to Have More Friends by Cherie Burbach.Apple Blossom(ND) is the winner of Dodging Destiny by Derinda Babcock.Brenda (VA is the winner of Cup ' N Cake by Teresa Ives Lilly.Ingrid (MO) is the winner of The Memory Weaver by Jane Kirkpatrick.

If you won a book and you like it, please consider giving the author the courtesy of writing a review on Goodreads, Amazon.com, Christianbooks.com, Barnes and Noble, or other Internet sites. Also, tell your friends about the book ... and this blog. Thank you.

Congratulations, everyone. If you won a print book, send me your mailing address:Click the Contact Me link at the top of the blog, and send me an Email.If you won an ebook, just let me know what email address it should be sent to.

When you contact me, please give the title of the book you won, so I won't have to look it up.Remember, you have 4 weeks to claim your book.

Friday, November 20, 2015

Like many other writers, I didn’t chose writing, writing
chose me. I remember when I was around twenty years old on a weekend getaway to
the Washington
coast where I felt so restless inside I couldn’t concentrate on anything. I sat
down and wrote out the true story of how a friend and I narrowly escaped being
mauled by a mama bear, and as soon as I finished everything felt right with the
world. I can’t not write if I want to feel peace.

I so understand that
feeling. If you weren’t an author, what would be your dream job?

Bear trainer. No, I’m kidding. Since I’m too old, and was
never talented enough to play in the NFL, I’ll go with actor. I took acting
classes in college and loved it. One of the items on my “someday” list is to
try out for community theatre.

I don’t know if you
knew that my degree is in Drama. And I’ve both written the script and directed
in community theater. If you could have lived at another time in history, what
would it be and why?

Let’s head for 1804, and give me a spot on the Lewis and
Clark Expedition. What a rush to be journey across the US to the PacificCoast,
not knowing what kind of adventures you’d find along the way. No roads, no map,
just the unknown quest in front of you.

I like that period,
too. My only pirate book was set in 1804, but it took place in the south
eastern part of the US.
What place in the United
States have you not visited that you would
like to?

Darci and I have always talked about visiting the New England states in the fall. The golden and red
leaves, the covered bridges, the quaint small towns ... take us there!

How about a foreign
country you hope to visit?

I have never been to Greece, and we’d love to go
someday. I can’t wait to scuba dive down there in the Greek Isles.

What lesson has the
Lord taught you recently?

That it’s all about grace. Everything. The grace we give
ourselves, the grace we give each other, and our willingness to receive the
unending, exploding fountain of grace our true Abba has given us through Jesus.

I love basking in His
grace for me so I can extend it to others. Tell us about the featured book.

The Five Times I Met Myself is probably the most personal book
I’ve ever written. So much of me is in there. The question I ask in the book
(and I asked about my own life) is, what would you do differently if you could
make different choices? And what would that life look like? And is there hope
for the future since we can’t make different choices? Here’s the back cover
copy that will give you a good feel for the novel:

What if you met your
twenty-three-year-old self in a dream? What would you say?

Brock Matthews’ once promising life is unraveling. His
coffee company. His marriage.

So when he discovers his vivid dreams—where he encounters
his younger self—might let him change his past mistakes, he jumps at the
chance. The results are astonishing, but also disturbing.

Because getting what Brock wants most in the world will
force him to give up the one thing he doesn’t know how to let go . . . and his
greatest fear is that it’s already too late.

Please give us the
first page of the book.

The dream had come again last night, just as it had sliced
into Brock’s subconscious the night before that. A dream now dominating a
significant portion of his waking moments. He had to talk to someone about it—
someone with at least a smattering of psychology. Someone he could trust. His
best choice was Morgan. His only choice, really.

Brock crossed Seattle’s
4th Avenue
and looked up at the sky as it surrendered to dusk. Not long till the spring
evenings would hold the light till after nine o’clock. He reached the other
side of the street, strode up to the front door of Java Spot, yanked the door open,
and stepped inside. Three-quarters full. The perfect number of people. Not so
many that newcomers would turn away, but enough to tell people it was a place
to be. Morgan had to feel good having that many customers at six twenty.

Brock glanced around at the 1940s motif. Posters of Rosie
the Riveter and Ted Williams, an old Coca- Cola sign, and the famous shot of
the sailor kissing a nurse in Times Square
hung on the walls. Definitely captured the hope of a post–World War II
populace. Or maybe Java Spot simply appealed to those who wanted an alternative
to the corporate giant that had more coffee shops sprinkled throughout Puget Sound than 7-Elevens.

On one side: a cluster of what looked like college students,
a few couples, and some solo acts. The opposite side: three people hunched over
their Mac laptops, and a large group of mid-forty somethings laughed and
pointed at each other in rapid-fire succession. What Java Spot put in its
drinks was obviously the right concoction, which made Brock smile again,
because he’d developed those concoctions being consumed in all fifteen of
Morgan’s locations as well as the rest of the country and overseas.

Brock took one more glance around the coffee shop, then
strolled behind the counter and said, “Not a bad crowd for a Monday night.”

“You can’t come back here.”

“Deal with it.”

“Nope. Employees only. Get out. Now.”

Morgan Myers lugged his sizable girth toward Brock and
grinned. When he reached Brock, Morgan grabbed him by both shoulders and shook
him like he was a stuffed animal. Yeah, maybe Morgan had put on more than a few
pounds since their college days, but even after thirty-one years, he hadn’t
lost any of his linebacker strength.

“Amazing,” Morgan said. “You actually have the hint of a tan
to go with your slightly graying mane. A vacation you call work—but at least
you got some sun.”

“It was work.”

“Uh- huh. A week in Costa Rica sipping coffee and
checking out beans. Brutal. How did you survive? What, you were probably
slaving away three, maybe four hours a day before you hit the beach?”

“Four and a half.” Brock grinned at his friend.

“When did you get back?”

“Five days ago.” Brock lowered his voice. “That’s when they
started.”

“When what started?”

“When you get a moment, I need to talk.”

“The doctor is in.” Morgan tapped his chest.

“A degree in psychology you never used makes you a doctor?”

“I use it every day.” Morgan waved his paw of a hand at the
crowd. “Spill it. Problems with Karissa? Tyson? Work?”

“A dream. More like a nightmare.”

Morgan beckoned with his finger and led Brock to the back
room and into the office. After they settled into the small space, Morgan
beckoned again with both hands. “Let’s go. Tell me about dem cah-razy dreams.”

You’ve already pulled
me in, as you always do with the first scene in your books. How can readers
find you on the Internet?

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory. (Comments containing links may be subject to removal by blog owner.)

Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws.

The only notification you’ll receive is the winner post on this blog. So be sure to check back a week from Saturday to see if you won. You will have 4 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.

If you’re reading this on Goodreads, Google+, Feedblitz, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment if you want to be included in the drawing. Here’s a link:Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com

Thursday, November 19, 2015

Bio: Kimberly
Rose Johnson writes sweet inspirational romance. She married her college
sweetheart 25 years ago. Her hobbies include reading, watching chick flicks,
playing the piano, long walks with her hubby and their yellow lab, drinking
coffee, and eating way too much dark chocolate. Kimberly holds a degree in
Behavioral Science and is a member of ACFW.

Island Christmas

Mountain Brook Ink

October 30, 2015

Should Rachel take a risk, or play it safe and possibly lose
the man who could help fulfill her dreams?

Welcome back,
Kimberly. How would you classify the genre of your novel?

I have always thought of my writing as contemporary romance,
but it actually sells better in the women’s Christian fiction genre. I’m not
sure why, but it may have something to do with my covers. I’ve learned since
expressing my vision for the covers to my publishers that romance readers like
to see people on the covers and the first three books in this series do not
have people. I’m hoping the next book will. J

Please tell us three
random things we might not know about you.

--As a kid I wanted to be a secret agent when I grew up.

--When I first started writing I wrote romantic suspense,
but never sold any of those manuscripts. I switched genres to contemporary
romance and sold the first one I wrote.

--I changed my major three times in college. I started as an
elementary Ed major, switched to piano performance, and ultimately ended up
with a degree in Behavior Science with a minor in music.

I changed my major
three times in college, too. I started as an English major, then changes to
speech, and finally went with Drama. Please tell us a bit more about the plot
of your novel.

Sous Chef Rachel Narrelli returns to WildflowerIsland looking for a fresh start for
herself and her young son, but discovers that life has a lot of bumps in the
road even on idyllic WildflowerIsland. She is grateful
when new friend Chris Campbell offers support as she faces obstacles with her
new job and new life. She cares for Chris but must decide if she is willing to
risk her heart to a man with an uncertain future.

A self-proclaimed workaholic, Chris Campbell comes to WildflowerIsland
hoping to take life at a slower pace. When a new guest at the Wildflower B and B
catches his eye, he is drawn to her. But how will a woman and her young son fit
into his future—a future that’s uncertain at best? And most of all, how can he
reconcile her lack of faith in God with his strong religious beliefs.

What is it about your
lead character that will make your readers care about her/him.

Rachel is a courageous young widowed mother who has worked
hard to get where she is, but life keeps knocking her down.

All the men in Chris’s family have died young from heart
attacks. Chris believes this could be his fate as well and has worked hard to
stay heart healthy, but when it’s not enough he moves to WildflowerIsland
for a slower pace. While there he meets Rachel and her young son and suddenly
he’s not content to accept his family history.

If you were the
casting director for the film version of your novel, who would play your lead
roles?

Chris would be played by Bradley Cooper and Rachel would be
played by Alexis Bledel—I’m a huge Gilmore Girls fan and would be honored to
have her play the part. J

What is something in
your writing-industry experience that made you laugh or at least smile?

Several years ago at one of the summer Oregon Christian
Writer’s Conferences Liz Curtis Higgs was the keynote speaker. My goodness she
is funny. I think I was crying at times from laughing so hard.

I love to listen to
Liz Curtis Higgs. She was one of my first online writer friends, way back in
the early days of the public Internet. What is the last novel you read that you
would recommend? Why do you recommend it?

I just finished reading My
Brother’s Crown by Mindy Starns Clark and Leslie Gould. At first I wasn’t
sure I would like it because it has two stories within the storyline, one takes
place in present day the other several hundred years ago. Then I realized how
important one story was to the other and how you wouldn’t have the present day
story without the historical one. It was exceptionally well written and a
page-turner. It’s also part of a series so there is a continuing mystery
thread.

I also really liked Kept
by Sally Bradley. This book is unlike most books Christian books I’ve read.
It’s one of those stories you need to read to understand what I’m saying, but I
couldn’t put it down.

What are you working
on now?

I’m currently writing Island
Hope the fourth book in the Wildflower B and B Romance Series. This book
will release in April 2016. The release spread between books is farther on this
one. I hope readers will subscribe to my newsletter so I can let them know when
it releases. It’s easy to subscribe from my website at kimberlyrjohnson.com.

Since this is a Christmas book, what is your favorite
Christmas memory?

I’ll share mine. When I was a kid my family drove to California to spend
Christmas with my Grandma. We were still traveling Christmas morning and had
stopped at a rest stop. In those days, seatbelts weren’t required, and my
sister and I sat in the back of our Datsun pickup on beanbags. There was a boot
that connected the back to the cab. Anyway, my parents stopped to give us our
Christmas stockings and handed them to us through the boot. She opened our
gifts in full view of anyone who cared to watch through our windshield. I’ll
never forget this one woman who stood there the entire time with a big smile
just watching my sister and I enjoy our Christmas morning stocking at the rest
stop. J

Thank you, Kimberly, for sharing this new book with us. I enjoyed reading the first two in the series, and I'm eagerly awaiting my copy of this one. I know my readers will be eager to read this one as well.

Readers, leave a comment, answering Kimberly's question, for a chance to win a free copy of the book. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory. (Comments containing links may be subject to removal by blog owner.)

Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws.

The only notification you’ll receive is the winner post on this blog. So be sure to check back a week from Saturday to see if you won. You will have 4 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.

If you’re reading this on Goodreads, Google+, Feedblitz, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment if you want to be included in the drawing. Here’s a link: